Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-10-13
POWER TO FORGIVE.
EXPLANATORY NOTES BY REV. GEO.
P. HAYES, D. D., IL. D.

Lesson III of the International Series
Fourth QUARTER for Sunday, Oct. Is.
Text of the Lesson, Matt. iH, 1-s-Golden
Text, Matt. ix, 6.
VS.. 1, 2. Energetic faith-Christ had just
returned to Capernaum from the eastern side
of the lake, where he had healed the demoni-
&C. Here in his own city his power was well
known. As soon as his return was uoised
abroad, this man and his friends resolved to
make an appeal to him.
Christ seems at first wholly to have over
looked the disease of this mans body, and to
have spoken only of the disease of his soul.
The attention of this man and of his friends
may have been directed wholly to his physical
distress. Their attention would he much
more sharply directed to the spiritual benefit
within their reach, by calling attention first
to sin Christ, therefore, planned this
miracle, so that he could enforce this lesson
both on those who were affected by this case
and on the mere spectators.
vs.. 3, 4. Sin and death-The relation of
sin and sickness is very close. Of course
the forgiveness of sin does not now always
produce physical health. But the Saviour
here struck at the root of disease when he
proposed to forgive sin. But for sin, sickness,
disease and death would be unknown When,
therefore, Jesus said, ''Thy sins be forgiven
thee" he covered the whole question of the
relation of sickness and suffering to moral
causes
VS.. 8, 6. Bad logic-The thoughts Of the
scribes are not surprising when we recol-
lect their assumption as to Jesus human
character. Their logic, stated in full, is this:
for a man to forgive sins is blaSphemy; this
is a mere man, therefore he blasphemeth
But this assumed as infallibly certain the
very question at issue, whether this was only
mere man. Here, as is usual in false rea-
soning, the false premise is omitted. Jesus
question in verse 4 did two things to prove
his divinity: first, it proved it by his knowl-
edge of their thoughts; and second, its word
"eviln called their attention to their mistake .
What Christ meant by ease and difficulty de-
serves attention That word easier as
sumes that il is but word in either case, and
forces the question of his divinity at once to
the front
1t also fixes visible test as to the result.
The mans sins might be forgiven, and yet
there would remain no immediate ISethod of
knowing that fact by the bodily senses. But
IL
body could see that.
VS.. z, s. Momentous results-H all parties
could have understood how much seemed for
the moment to have been staked on this mans
condHct, how they would have held their
breath at the close of Jesus last words in
verse 81 Verse narrates the result in the
most quiet and unsurpassed manner. II the
Bible was not inspired, what a senss tional
story f11an vVOuid ha T1ada ont Of fhis
The peoples logic was not much better than
that of the scribes. They did not deny the
wonderful work, but they still omitted the
argument for the divinity of Christ.
The charities now in the world are almost
wholly the outcome of the Christian religion
Even when engaged in by those who are not
themselves professors Of evangelical Chris
tianity, they are the result of Christian
public sentiment in the community. Temporal
charity ought to accompany missionary work,
but it should not be so administered as to OBJ
scure or overshadow the spiritual end in
volved. Christ's way was to enforce moral
lessons with temporal blessings.
When this man was healed it was his duty
TO arise and walk ". .. We can conceive
that the words of the Saviour to him might
have accomplished In his body the cure of nis
disease, Id yst he might have so refused 10
attempt to move that he would have lain
there as dependent on his friends as before.
When the spiritually palsied are healed by
conversion, the exercise of their spiritual
power is an immediate duty.
SUGGESTIVE APPLICATIONS
We Son, be of good cheer-Sick and help
less: not able to move ones self and scarcely
to be moved by healthier and stronger hands,
faal al i,,o n
pirited look. There would be great need of
voice bringing good cheer to the sick and de-
spondent Yet this word was not what was
expected by the friends; they hoped for a
visible healing of the body; instead of this
there was an invisible healing of the soul
W Wherefore think ye evil in your heartsi
Jesus showed his power to forgive sins by
revealing to the scribes the unspoken thoughts
of their hearts. They were saying, This
man has been brought to you that his palsied
body might be restored. This would be some
thing difficult to do The Teacher has simply
said, Thy sins be forgiven thee very easy
thing compared with what the friends ex-
pected."
V. s. The multitudes glorifed God-There
are many crowds of people now who marvel
at what God does, but seldom get beyond
that. They never go so far as to glorify God
for those works which have caused them to
marvel. They seem to suppose that gaping
with astonishment and throwing up their
hands in wonder are quite sufficient acts of
worship.
HINTS FOR PRIMARY CLASSES.
Jesus did many wonderful things that no
other man could ever do. He made blind
people see. Poor blind men go around very
carefully feeling their way with stick, or
being led by little dog fastened to string
held by the man, or led by some person that
can see. Jesus used to cure the blind with
word so that they could see perfectly.
After the storm, and after doing wonderful
works on the other side Of the lake, Jesus
came back to Capernaum- A poor man sick
of the palsy was brought to him for healing.
Teachers should gather all the details of the
story from Mark ii and Luke Y, and then give
it graphically to the children. A gentleman
gave it recently to about 200 little ones under
seven years of age at Mr., Spurgeon's Sunday
school in London. BE entered so thoroughly
into the spirit of the scene that he engaged
the attention of all the children, small as they
were, although before he began it seemed I'M
possible for the three ladies in charge to pre-
serve anything like proper order. One little
fellow had been running around post
in the middle of the room, while
his sister ran after him to take him
to his seat At one time so many Of the
children beat time to the singing with their
feet, that music was nearly drowned. Again
the boys joined in u chorus Of bleating like
sheep, while all sorts of capers and antics oc-
cupied the roguish ones. When this gentle
man entered, and the three unsuccessful
teachers sank wearily into their seats, it took
but moment for this man, who knew how
to teach, to quiet every child and secure in
terested attention. When he told how the
four men put their shoulders under the four
corners Of the bed he initiated the action
When describing the crowd and the efforts Of
the bearers to pass through he held an imag-
mary conversation with the people. "0pen
a way there, if you please, and let US carry
this poor man, sick of the palsy, in to see
Jesus" The answer came back, "No use try
ing to get through here; we cannot move
aside" Then the bearers consult, and decide
to go on top of the low, fat rooted house, and
remove the covering so as to let the man
down from above into the court or room be-
low. Explain the difference between those
roofs and ours. He told how carefully they
carried the man up the outside stairs. looking